Selling Sirius
by Remchlomany
Summary: Sirius' parents need to deal of Sirius, settling on human trafficking. But where will Sirius end up? And what's waiting for him there? A house in the woods, and someone- or something- he just can't get out of his mind. Remus/Sirius Beauty and the Beast AU
1. Out

**So. There's this. Which has been floating around my mind for forever. I quite like it. The style seems a bit different so far from what I usually do.** **What is it, you ask? What is it? I'll tell you what it is. It's a Remus/Sirius AU based off Beauty and the Beast.** **What? What's that you said, just now? That this has already been done before?** **Point.** **But it's never been done the way it should be.** **With **_**Remus**_** as the beast.** **I've got some fun stuff planned ahead, oh, yes. You're going to like this one.**

Sirius closed his eyes as he splashed his face, reveling in the cold water. He straightened himself, noticing in his mirror reflection the water soaking into the sleeves of his expensive dress robes. It represented everything he hated: this family, this house, this life. He loathed it. He also hated hiding in this damn bathroom. The bathroom was his safe haven for the time being, though.

Really, the whole thing was stupid. No one smart who had come to Sirius' and Ella's engagement dinner would say they were in love, and Sirius didn't even care. He certainly didn't love her: she was too quiet, too gentle when she laid a hand on his arm, or politely laughed. And everything was too orchestrated. Sirius wanted love. This wasn't love. This was society, and rules, and laying your napkin across your thigh even though in the stiff, upright position Blacks are supposed to sit in you're more likely to spill on your shirt than your pants. Regulus never managed to spill anything. Maybe he was just too scared to.

Trying to sponge the water out of his sleeve because really, wet sleeves were annoying, Sirius jumped when he heard pounding on the door. "_Sirius Orion Black_! Open this door _right now_**, **or I'm locking you in there!" Orion roared from the other side of the room. Sirius laughed, partially to relieve the stress, partially at himself for his obedience up to this point. He knew he was no longer going along with their ridiculous plan. They thought they could marry him off, just to tie themselves to this important family from the neighboring, larger town? Of course not. He hated Ella, really. Or maybe not. Maybe he just hated the idea of Ella. The idea of being forced to marry someone against your will just to climb societal rungs on the ladder.

More shouting occurred from the other side of the door, in the form of, "If you don't open it right now, we _will_ disown you!" Sirius laughed again. This was it, wasn't it? All this culminating unease about Ella and his arranged courtship was finally reaching a breaking point. The dam was breaking and Sirius was welcoming the water, closing his eyes and letting it soak him.

He opened the door.

"Hello, father dearest! Whate_ver _do you want at this hour?" Sirius drawled, bowing sarcastically. He was in for it. And he knew it. But he might as well go down laughing and brushing it off. He couldn't let them see how scared he was; not now, and not ever. Times like these were meant to test us, and Sirius would not fail.

His father's face was unnaturally unreadable, the way it always looked when he was so close to his breaking point, but resisting because company was there, or because he had to. "Sirius, your mother and I are highly embarrassed by the way you acted at dinner. You were horribly rude to Ella. Do you know how bad that looked? How disrespectful it made _us_ look?" he lectured, desperate to get his point across.

Sirius threw his hands up, nearing hitting the light attached to the wall. "I don't care! I just _don't care!_ You can make me marry the girl, but you can't make me _like_ her! I'm done with this! I'm done with all these bloody _rules_! Do this, do that! Say please and thank you! Never interrupt someone when they're talking! I hate it!"

"What problems do you have with Ella?" Orion's lip curled, "She's beautiful, she's rich, and her family has important contacts for miles around. How can you be so _ungrateful_ as to want more than that?" he demanded.

"_Maybe I don't want a__** girl**__!"_

Silence hung in the air, like a curtain slowly suffocating them. Orion's face dropped to neutral again, this time out of shock rather than manners. And Sirius knew it was over. He laughed once more. The dam didn't hold. His one secret, the most important thing he'd kept from his parents, gone. He felt exposed, and yet somehow relieved. At least he'd no longer have to worry about getting caught with complete strangers in the back alley at important galas, or have to lie about going to the bookstore when he was really meeting Eric or Jack or Ian or the latest bloke of the month. At least the deception was gone.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice his tied up arms and legs until he felt his body hit the floor. He yelled. His father did this sometimes, terrible and bloody fucking annoying as it was. It was usually when the family was going to have a conversation Sirius was likely to run away from. He did that. A lot, actually. Take off on his broom and fly until it was dark, and sneak back in his window.

Orion ignored his protesting, of course. He dragged Sirius down the stairs by the collar, not caring if his head hit a few steps. Sirius didn't care, either. He was sure he would be hurting a lot worse by the time this was done. Still yelling whatever cuss word came to mind, he felt more than registered it himself that he was dragged onto the couch, his mother coolly staring at him. "Orion," she inquired, not taking her eyes from Sirius, "What's the problem, now?"

His father paced, not even flinching as his shin bumped the coffee table. He ran a hand through his hair, spiking it in strange directions. "Our son is a _fag_, Walburga. He said so himself. He's a disgusting, mental, filthy _fag._" His mother spit out her tea. _Another homophobe_, Sirius thought. Of course. All purebloods were homophobic. If you can't produce chubby little purebloods, you weren't worthy to live.

"Shut up! Both of you just shut up!" he screamed. "I'm not filthy, and-" but he was cut off as his tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth. His mother, of course. Sirius sneered at her, unable to speak. His father pulled her to her feet, and took her into the kitchen, talking in hushed tones. Sirius watched them go.

It was only then he noticed his brother standing in the doorway. Regulus, the only part of the family he could stand. He pleaded to his brother with his eyes, begging him to untie him. So he could escape. He didn't know to where; maybe he'd take off for his uncle's place. Anything to escape the wrath of his parents for a while. But Regulus just stood there, sending a clear message back; He couldn't. If he helped Sirius, his parents would punish _him_. And Sirius couldn't make him do that. He might be a coward, but Reg was his brother, and he loved him.

His parents finally reentered the room. They looked grim, his father looking downright pale. Orion coughed, "We've decided you can't stay here anymore. So, we're moving you." Sirius frowned, not expecting that answer. He was anticipating a long night of packing, only to be thrown to the curb and burned off the family tree. But moving him? To where?

Orion adjusted his sleeves, holding his wand up. He didn't show a sign of remorse or shame as he added, "More specifically, we're selling you."

**Look at that. Look how lucky you are.** **You got the definition of the title in the first bloody chapter.** _**Oh, but look at that cliffhanger. Bet you're not pleased about that.**_


	2. Bound

**The awkward moment when you realize this has been up for a while, and you never put any author's notes on it.**

**Oh well.**

**Song for this chapter is Fear by Stop Making Friends.**

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Sold. Bought. Traded. Like cattle. But worse. He was human. He was _him. Sirius Orion Black. Pureblood._ Did that mean nothing? Could you still get screwed over _by your own family_, despite being the upper class? His own father! Willing to sell him, like a common house elf! He wasn't concerned his father didn't love him; of course he didn't. Children, to the Blacks, were just rooks to use to make sure to continue the family line. The bloodline tree. Blood indeed. Sirius hazarded to think of how long the Blacks had been disposing of people like this.

Sirius sat bolt upright, ignoring the chaffing burn the ropes caused. He was just happy he hadn't been Crucio'd yet. He yelled and screamed like he was being stabbed, pleadingly looking over at his mother and brother. He didn't care that it was more like muffled moaning due to his tongue current position, fixed to the roof of his mouth. All he knew is that he needed to express that he was _not_ okay with this. Would he have to work? _Like_ a house elf? Would he have to clean? Cook? Or would he become some sort of sex slave? Who would he work _for?_

That really was the question, now, wasn't it? Who would want to buy him?

Sirius was so caught up with these thoughts, he didn't notice his brother's sudden yell or the spell his father wordlessly cast until everything went fuzzy and he fell over sideways, blacking out on the way over.

He closed his eyes tighter when the realization he was no longer drifting though unconsciousness arose. He refused to admit this new reality, with its bumpy motion and jerk from side to side. He winced as the floor bucked up and his head was hit on the wall. It wasn't until he heard the low roll of thunder that he finally opened his eyes.

He was honestly surprised to find himself in the family carriage. He reached out towards the wall to steady himself, realizing his wrists and ankles had been unbound. He rubbed them, trying not to wince at how sensitive they were.

"Don't do that, Sirius, you'll just make it worse," a voice snapped.

Sirius nearly soiled his pants. He turned, finally noticing a slightly bruised yet still calm Regulus tucked away in the opposite corner. He sat up, righting the world and softly scooting over, so that he was sitting across from Regulus. "Reg? What are you doing here? Are they selling you, too?" he asked, anxiously. Regulus might have been a complete coward, but he was still his brother, and he loved him. He didn't deserve to be bartered. At any rate, he obeyed his parents. Whether Sirius should have was yet to be determined.

Regulus sneered before turning to push the carriage's curtain back, revealing the gently sloping hills of the countryside, speckled with different houses and shops. "Of course not," he replied after a minute. "Mother and father adore me, unlike you," Regulus added, with less malice than usual. Maybe the thought that he probably wasn't going to see his brother again melted some of his usual haughtiness.

Silence fell over them, and Sirius finally looked around a bit. On impulse, he tried opening the door. Of course, it was locked. He looked up, noticing the walls seemed to move slightly, almost like oil and water. Orbs of what looked like liquid wood floated between parts of the carriage through the air, like a lava lamp. The inside of an object under a disillusionment charm. But why? When father usually took the carriage out, it was almost always to visit high-class, prominent wizards in another town who were more… _sympathetic_ with muggles. As much as Sirius knew his family hated that idea, they used to carriage to appeal to that side of people. Sirius knew it was also a sign to other in town, flaunting the fact they were going to see someone important. Which begged the question: if father was taking their show-off vehicle to… wherever he was taking Sirius, why didn't he want anyone to know?

He leaned forward, pushing the small velvet curtain aside taking a good look outside. They were no longer out on the plain, but instead in Mistline forest, north of their town. Sirius had only been though here once, when they were visiting aristocrats over the mountains behind Mistline, and even then, it had been on the Bus. "… Where are we going? What's going to happen to me?" Sirius wondered aloud, not turning from the window. He swallowed thickly to keep his voice from shaking. He was less upset that his family would do this to him than he was scared of what lied ahead for him. As Sirius watched, a pack of wolves ran just outside the edge of the trees, and then disappeared into the wilderness.

Regulus didn't answer right away, instead choosing to twirl his wand between his fingers. Seeing Regulus' fidget reminded Sirius of his own wand, which he realized was still in his pocket. Either father had been careless tying Sirius up, or figured there was no danger in leaving Sirius his wand. He poised his wand, ready to say the first unlocking spell that came to mind, before Regulus finally decided to speak, "Don't even try. I attempted every spell I could think of."

Sirius turned, seeing Regulus was finally looking at him. His brother shifted, and looked out the window. "To answer your question, I'm not going to answer it," Regulus finally said. Sirius growled, ticked off. Sirius was about to be sent _Merlin_ knows where, to do Merlin knows _what_, and he couldn't be bothered to tell him either?

Regulus sensed his frustration, and continued, still not looking at him. "What I meant is not right away. I feel it's only right for you to know what's going to happen to me because you decided girls weren't fucking good enough for you," he sneered. He seemed to resent saying that, and sighed. "Mother and father are going to fake your death," he continued, "After they hold a funeral, where they will sob over your tragic broom accident, they're going to suggest to Ella's parents that I marry her instead. Which, I will. Because I want to honor mom and dad."

Sirius stared at the wall, only partially taking the words in. Even as Sirius was being taken away, Regulus still needed to put the family first. Sirius used his wand to fix a rip in his sleeve. He kept himself detached, only vaguely wondering what was going to happen next and pushing back the thoughts of the past hour or two. Sirius made himself not care that everyone he had ever known would think he was dead from now on, except for three people. But there was one question Regulus hadn't answered yet, and Sirius _needed _the answer. And now. "Reg… do you have _any _idea where they're taking me?"

Surprisingly, Regulus answered right away, actually turning to look Sirius in the eyes. "I do." He sat up a bit, staring out the window again. "It was two years ago… I had a friend. I think he came to a Black Family Christmas dinner once. You might have met him. His name was Peter Pettigrew. You probably met him, if you weren't hiding during that dinner." He waved his hand, indicating he'd strayed from the topic. "We don't have enough time for me to bother if you remember him," he added, glancing out the window. The woods had become darker, and the road more rocky. Sirius had to keep a hold on the wall to keep himself steady.

Regulus continued on, barely phased by the unstable ride, "Peter lived in Ardor, the town south of here. He wasn't a rebellious guy, but he got mixed up with the wrong people. Not any sort of mafia, per say, but just… a rowdy group of wizards. Anyway, Peter met his friends at a pub one night for their regular scheduled get together to drink. And it turns out, after they had left the pub, the told him they had plans to rob a she repair store. The point is... he ratted on them to the Aurors. And they came and took care of him in a huge fight. Hexes were thrown every which way, and someone used a curse they had made up. And… they gave him a tail. A huge, think, flexible rat tail. His parents were horrified. They tried everything they could to get rid of it, but nothing worked."

Sirius leaned forward, anxious to hear the next part, yet eager to at the same time. "So what did they do with him?"

Regulus didn't answer right away. Instead, he leaned forward, a deadly serious look on his face. "I only know what happened to him because I overheard mother and father. All I knew is that he wasn't answering my letters. But father said…" he paused, "father said they had sent him north. To a castle somewhere…" Regulus stared straight into Sirius' eyes, making sure he got every word. "The castle takes in people like Peter, who have been cursed with strange tails and scales and things. And father said the entire place is run by a beast. A monster that walks on two legs. And that's where I think they're sending you."

Sirius barely repressed the shiver threatening to race down his spine.

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**Yay, and now author's notes here, too!**

**Cookies to whoever beta'd this. And to you too, if you review.  
Bitchin'. That rhymed. **


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